Hey! Pikmin Not Being Created By Nintendo

Hey! Pikmin, the side-scrolling action spin-off, is not being developed by Nintendo directly it has been revealed today. Instead, the duties have been handed off to Arzest, the company best known for creating the 3DS flop Yoshi’s New Island.

The team have also been responsible for other handheld games, including Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. However, the move has angered some fans who feel like the series would be better served if it the latest title was in the hands of Nintendo directly – something that most people had assumed was the case. The news comes as a particular surprise considering how poorly Yoshi’s New Island was received by critics when it released in 2014.

The Pikmin series has been one of Nintendo’s most popular new franchises in recent history. Originally launching in 2001 for the GameCube, it has since spawned two sequels for the Wii and Wii U. Created by legendary developer Shigeru Miyamoto, the latest instalment will be the first new entry in the series since Pikmin 3 in 2016. This is unlikely to be the only Pikmin game in the near future as the Japanese designer has previously stated he is also working on his own project within the series, most likely for the new Switch console.